Sewing machine

ABSTRACT

A free-arm type sewing machine is provided with a pair of side flaps and an end flap which are pivotally connected to a troughlike member integral with the sewing machine base and spaced from the free lower arm. In their uppermost position the flaps are retained against the head and upper arm of the machine to form an enclosure for the head and sides of the upper arm. The two side flaps are free to slide and pivot in a hinge arrangement so that they can be lowered and their upper angularly bent edges can either be placed adjacent the side edges of the free lower arm to form an enlarged work surface or be pulled away from the arm to expose the latter for the sewing of tubular pieces.

United States Patent 2,958,304 11/1960 Arbib Marcel Fresard Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland 816,292

Apr. 15, 1969 Mar. 16, 1971 Melina S. A.

Fribourg, Switzerland May 3, 1968 Switzerland Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority SEWING MACHINE 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 112/258, 1 12/63 Int. Cl. D05b 75/00 Field of Search 1 12/25 8 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 500,197 6/1930 Germany 112/260 523,787 11/1953 Belgium 112/217.1 996,402 8/1951 France 112/217.]

Primary Examiner-Richard J. Scanlan, Jr. Assistant Examiner-George I-I. Krizmanich Att0rneys-Emory L. Groff and Emory L. Groff, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A free-arm type sewing machine is provided with a pair of side flaps and an end flap which are pivotally connected to a troughlike member integral with the sewing machine base and spaced from the free lower arm. In their uppermost position the flaps are retained against the head and upper arm of the machine to form an enclosure for the head and sides of the upper arm. The two side flaps are free to slide and pivot in a hinge arrangement so that they can be lowered and their upper angularly bent edges can either be placed adjacent the side edges of the free lower arm to form an enlarged work surface or be pulled away from the arm to expose the latter for the sewing of tubular pieces.

Patented March '16, 1971 3,570,432

3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY WQ Patented March 16, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WAG e24 P255492 ATTORNEY Patented Maw: 16, W1

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR MA RCEL FRESARD ATTORNEY SEWING MAtII-IINE The invention relates to a portable sewing machine having a casing comprising a base, a pedestal, a free lowe'r arm, an upper arm, and a head, a plurality of flaps hinged to the casing to form therewith an enclosure when they are placed against the casing, a removable work surface surrounding the lower arm to enlarge the upper face thereof, whereby the sewing machine can be used with an enlarged work surface for the sewing of flat pieces when the removable surface is in place, or used with an exposed lower arm for the sewing of tubular pieces when the surface is removed. A troughlike member is integral with the base and the free lower arm is disposed centrally thereof and spaced therefrom. The aforesaid plurality of flaps comprise at least a pair, and each flap of the pair includes an upper and a lower longitudinal edge, the latter edge'being hinged to an edge of the troughlike member on a respective side of the sewing machine, all of which is described in copending U.S. Patent Application No. 805.504 filed March 10, 1969.

The present invention relates to a particularly advantageous modification of the hinge arrangement of the pair of side flaps, enabling the side flaps to be lowered and either placed against or adjacent the side edges of the free lower arm so as to englarge the work surface thereof or pulled away to expose the lower arm.

An object of the invention is a side-flap-and-hinged arrangement that permits the work surface of a sewing machine to be quickly changed to meet the needs of the user, irrespective of whether flat or tubular pieces are sewn. The object and others of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of one embodiment.

The invention will be described with reference to the FIGS. of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sewing machine of the invention being opened up for use;

FIG. 2 is also a perspective view, the machine being completely opened up and the free lower arm exposed;

FIG. 3 is a front view of part of the opened-up machine shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, showing the auxiliary work surface adjacent the upper surface of the free lower arm;

FIG. 5 is an englarged detail view, partly in section, showing the auxiliary work surface withdrawn from the free lower arm to permit access to said arm for sewing tubular material, and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view partly in section of the structure shown in FIG. 4.

With reference to the drawings, the sewing machine has a casing I comprising a base 2, a pedestal 3, a free lower arm 4, an upper arm 5, and a head 6. In the embodiment .illustrated, the base 2 is integral with an elongated troughlike member 7 having two side panels 8. A side flap 110 is hinged along the upper edge 11 of each panel 8. A front panel 12 is hinged at 12a along the front edge of the base 2. Hinged to the front panel upper edge 13a is a front flap 14, which covers the front face of the machine when the latter is closed up.

The flaps are hinged to the respective edges 11 of panels 3 by the plates 31 disposed on the inner faces of said flaps. Each plate 31 is hinged at one of its ends to a respective edge ill of a panel 8 and has its opposite end 32 slidably and pivotally disposed in a guide member 33 fixed to the inner face of a respective flap 10. The upper portion 34 of each flap 10 is slightly bent angularly and inwardly. When the machine is opened up for use, the side flaps are moved away from the casing 1 and laid down so that the bent portion 34 of each flap 10 is disposed adjacent a respective edge of the upper face of free lower arm 4. These two portions 34, which are bent so as to lie substantially in the plane of the upper face of the arm 4, then constitute the work surface 15 described in copending US. Patent Application No. 805.504 filed Mar. 10, 1969.

These bent portions 34, when in this position thus increase the area of the upper face of the free arm d when flat pieces are sewn. The remainder of each flap 10 forms a ramp that facilitates moving the cloth towards the needle plate, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 at the front end of the 'free lower arm 4.

Referring to FIGS. 44, it will be seen that plate 31 is hinged to the upper edge of panel 8 by means of an axle 35 supported by brackets 36 affixed to the inner surface of panel 3. The ends of said axle are engaged in a tubular portion 37 at one end of plate 31, whereas the other end of said plate is connected to an axle 32 carried by guide block 38 which is slidable in a guideway 39. A slot 40 in guideway 39 permits axle 32 to pass therethrough and it is engaged in a tubular portion 41 at the other end of plate 31. In the position shown in FIG. 4, the guide block 33 abuts the end 42 of guideway 39, whereas in the position shown in FIG. 5, the guide block 38 abuts the other end 43 of guideway 39. Thus, the aforementioned hinging arrangement not only permits sliding movement of the flaps 10 transversely or perpendicular to the sewing machine but also permits the flaps to be raised against the head 6 and upper arm 5 as shown in the left-hand portion of FIG. 1.

When the free arm must be exposed to enable the sewing of tubular pieces, such as sleeves or trouser legs, the front panel 12 and its flap 14 are laid down, opening up the front of the member 7. Each side flap 10 is then pulled free of the arm 4, due to the sliding relationship between guide member 33 and end 32 of plate 31. The distance which end 32 can move is sufficient to permit the upper edges of the flaps 10 to rest on the edges 11 of the respective panels 8, so that a space is provided between the arm 4 and the panels 8.

The machine is closed up by raising the side flaps 10 against the casing l, to the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1. The panel 12 and the flap 14 are also raised so as to cover the head 6. The flaps 10 and 14, as well as the panel 12, are held in their raised positions by any appropriate means, such as a spring catch arrangement 44,45 or a bolt arrangement, not shown. When the raising and lowering the flaps 10 as required when the machine is to be stored or used, the machine should be raised above the table or other supporting surface a sufficient distance to permit the lower edge of the flaps to be moved freely into the desired position.

In a modification, the flap l4 and the panel 12 can be eliminated or replaced by detachable parts that can be slid under or into the base 2 of the sewingmachine. The front flap M can also be replaced by a flat member that slides up and down in the head 6.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, the scope of, and the breadth of protection afforded to, the invention are limited-solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine includinga casing comprising a base, a pedestal, a free lower arm, a troughlike member integral with said base and spaced from the sides and bottom of said free lower arm, an upper arm, and a head, a plurality of flaps pivotally connected to said troughlike member to form therewith an enclosure for the head and upper arm when said flaps are raised and placed against said casing and being lowerable to permit the sewing machine to be used, a removable work surface movable toward and adjacent to the upper face of said free lower arm to enlarge the normal work surface of said upperface when the sewing machine is to be used for the sewing of flat pieces of material, said removable work surface also movable away from the upper face of said free lower arm to expose said arm for the sewing of tubular pieces of material, said troughlike member including upper edges extending longitudinally of said member on each side of the sewing machine, said plurality of flaps including a pair of side flaps, each flap of said pair defining an upper and a lower longitudinal edge, the improvement wherein the upper portion of each said flap is bent so as to lie substantially in the same plane as the upper face of said free lower arm when said pair of flaps are lowered and the machine is ready for use, individual hinge means connecting each flap of said pair of flaps to a related upper edge of said troughlike member, said hinge means including a guide member fixed to the inner surface of each said away from said lower to remove said work surface from the side edge of said lower arm and expose said lower arm for use in sewing a tubular piece of material.

2. A sewing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said connector means comprises a plate which is concealed beneath its related flap when said flap is in work-supporting position. 

1. In a sewing machine including a casing comprising a base, a pedestal, a free lower arm, a troughlike member integral with said base and spaced from the sides and bottom of said free lower arm, an upper arm, and a head, a plurality of flaps pivotally connected to said troughlike member to form therewith an enclosure for the head and upper arm when said flaps are raised and placed against said casing and being lowerable to permit the sewing machine to be used, a removable work surface movable toward and adjacent to the upper face of said free lower arm to enlarge the normal work surface of said upper face when the sewing machine is to be used for the sewing of flat pieces of material, said removable work surface also movable away from the upper face of said free lower arm to expose said arm for the sewing of tubular pieces of material, said troughlike member including upper edges extending longitudinally of said member on each side of the sewing machine, said plurality of flaps including a pair of side flaps, each flap of said pair defining an upper and a lower longitudinal edge, the improvement wherein the upper portion of each said flap is bent so as to lie substantially in the same plane as the upper face of said free lower arm when said pair of flaps are lowered and the machine is ready for use, individual hinge means connecting each flap of said pair of flaps to a related upper edge of said troughlike member, said hinge means including a guide member fixed to the inner surface of each said flap and connector means having one end slidably and pivotally disposed in said guide member and its opposite end pivotally connected to the upper edge of said troughlike member, whereby when the sewing machine is opened up for use, said pair of flaps can be slid so that said upper longitudinal edges thereof are adjacent a respective side edge of said lower arm and said bent portion forms said removable work surface and each flap of said pair of flaps can be pulled back away from said lower arm to remove said work surface from the side edge of said lower arm and expose said lower arm for use in sewing a tubular piece of material.
 2. A sewing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said connector means comprises a plate which is concealed beneath its related flap when said flap is in work-supporting position. 